Central vacuum cleaner units are in widespread use in households and in myriad commercial facilities. Typically, the central vacuum cleaner unit is located in a permanent position with one or more suction tubes extending from the central unit and routed through the walls of the home or building to rooms to be vacuumed.
A major complaint voiced about such central vacuum cleaner units has been the relatively high level of exhaust air noise that they generate for occupants of the home or building in which the unit is disposed as well as for neighbors of homes or buildings adjacent the exhaust of the unit. Exhaust air noise is one of the major noise sources of the unit.
An object of the present invention is to provide a muffler for a central vaccum cleaner unit wherein the muffler is effective to reduce exhaust air noise output of the unit by reducing noise originating from inside the unit and by reducing noise created by high velocity exhaust air flow.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a muffler for a central vacuum cleaner wherein the muffler provides a combination of features including improved exhaust noise reduction, minimal material usage, and minimal flow induced noise within the muffler.